Developer supply container

• US 7,190,925 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2004
• Issued: 03/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Yamada, Yusuke, Ban, Yutaka, Minagawa, Hironori, Isomura, Tetsuo, Yoshikawa, Junko, Omata, Kazuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, HOAN H
• Application Number:
  US10/929,385
• Publication Number:
  US 20050025529A1
• Time in Patent Office: 924 Days
• Field of Search: 399/24, 399/25, 399/252, 399/258, 399/260, 399/262, 399/263, 399/107, 399/111, 399/119, 399/120, 399/122, 399/227, 222/DIG.1, 222/167
• US Class Current: 399/262
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0868 Toner cartridges fulfilling a continuous function within the electrographic apparatus during the use of the supplied developer material, e.g. toner discharge on demand, storing residual toner, acting as an active closure for the developer replenishing opening
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0872 the developer cartridges being generally horizontally mounted parallel to its longitudinal rotational axis
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0877 Arrangements for metering and dispensing developer from a developer cartridge into the development unit
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0886 by mechanical means, e.g. shutter, plug
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/0177 Rotating set of developing units
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/0665 Generally horizontally mounting of said toner cartridge parallel to its longitudinal rotational axis
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/067 Toner discharging opening covered by arcuate shutter
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/0675 Generally cylindrical container shape having two ends
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/0685 fulfilling a continuous function within the electrographic apparatus during the use of the supplied developer material, e.g. toner discharge on demand, storing residual toner, not acting as a passive closure for the developer replenishing opening
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 9/0821 characterised by physical parameters magnetic parameters G03G9/083
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 222/01 Xerography

Abstract

A developer supply container for supplying a developer detachably set in an image forming apparatus, the developer supply container includes a main body for containing the developer; a discharge opening, provided in the main body, for discharging the developer; a plurality of feeding projections, provided projected from a curved inner surface, for feeding the developer in the main body toward the discharge opening with rotation of the main body, wherein each of the projections are linear without twisting.

Claims

1. A developer supply container for supplying a developer detachably settable in an image forming apparatus, said developer supply container comprising:

a main body for containing the developer, said main body being rotatably settable in the image forming apparatus, said main body including a container member provided by injection molding;

a discharge opening, provided in said main body, for discharging the developer; and

a plurality of ribs provided at independent positions on an inner surface of said container member with such an inclination relative to a rotational axis of said main body that an upstream end thereof with respect to a rotational direction of said main body is relatively closer to said discharge opening,

wherein said ribs are linear as seen in a direction in which a mold is removed during the injection molding.

2. A developer supply container according to claim 1, wherein said developer supply container is settable on a rotatable member provided in the image forming apparatus such that said developer supply container is not rotatable relative to the rotatable member, and

wherein a rotation for feeding the developer by said plurality of ribs is effected by rotation of the rotatable member.

3. A developer supply container according to claim 1, wherein said said main body includes two container members provided by injection molding, and

wherein the ribs are provided on each of said container members.

4. A developer supply container detachably mountable to an image forming apparatus, said developer supply container comprising:

a rotatable container body for containing a developer;

a discharge opening, provided at one end portion of said container body with respect to a rotational axis thereof, for discharging the developer;

a plurality of ribs for feeding the developer, said ribs being provided between said discharge opening and the other end portion of said container body on an inner surface of said container body, said ribs being independent from each other and arranged along the rotational axis, wherein said ribs are non-twisted, and are linearly extended with an inclination relative to the rotational axis;

wherein the developer in said container body is discharged from said container body by said ribs when said container body is rotated in one direction.

5. A developer container according to claim 4, wherein said ribs are inclined such that upstream sides thereof are closer to said discharge opening than downstream sides thereof with respect to moving directions of said ribs when said container body rotates.

6. A developer supply container according to claim 5, wherein said ribs are substantially parallel with each other.

7. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said container body and said ribs are integrally molded.

8. A developer supply container according to claim 7, wherein said container body is constituted by a plurality of molded parts.